WASHINGTON DC: The United States said that 3,000 North Korean troops were dispatched to Russia earlier this month and are being trained there, possibly to fight alongside Moscow’s troops in their 32-month war against Ukraine.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters that what Pyongyang’s soldiers are doing in Russia is “left to be seen.”
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. is “working closely with our allies and partners to gain a full understanding of the situation.”
Kirby said the North Korean troops traveled by ship between early October and midmonth from its Wonsan naval port to Vladivostok in Russia.
Then, he said, the North Korean troops were dispatched to multiple military training sites in eastern Russia.
“We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military” in Ukraine, but the possibility is “certainly a high concern,” Kirby said.
“We have briefed the Ukrainian government on our understanding of this situation, and we’re certainly consulting closely with other allies, partners and countries in the region on the implications of such a dramatic group move, and on how we might respond,” Kirby said.
“For the time being, we will continue to monitor the situation closely, but let’s be clear: If North Korean soldiers do enter into combat, this development will demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation in its war against Ukraine,” he added.
“Russia is suffering extraordinary casualties on the battlefield every single day, but President [Vladimir] Putin appears intent on continuing this war,” Kirby said.
“If Russia is indeed forced to turn to North Korea for manpower, if we assign a weakness, not strength, it would also demonstrate an unprecedented level of direct military cooperation between Russia and North Korea with security implications in Europe, as well as the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
Kirby said Russia’s cooperation with the North Korean military would violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting the procurement of arms from North Korea and military arms training.
(VOA)
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